You are not logged in.
#1 2006-01-06 20:00:12
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
-
Offline
Lateral thinking puzzles
For Christmas I received quite a large book of 'Classic Lateral Thinking Puzzles' (from my Uncle and Aunty 
). It contains many different conundrums, all which seem to not have enough information to be able to solve them. I've read through a few and almost all of them seem to have multiple answers - then on checking the back of the book, the answer seems either really far-fetched or extremely simple. I'll post some here and see if you can solve them.
I found this first one to be one of the 'better' ones - that is, not *quite* as silly an answer.
Shoe Shop Shuffle
'In a small town there are four shoe shops of about the same size, each carrying more of less the same line in shoes. Yet, one shop loses three times as many shoes to theft as each of the other shops. Why?'
Each puzzle also has clues... so if you get stuck, I'll post them.
#2 2006-01-06 20:31:12
- ganesh
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Shop # 3 : Because it is a multiple of 3 
(I know thats a stupid answer, but I couldn't think of any better).
Character is who you are when no one is looking.
#3 2006-01-06 20:41:54
- Zach
- Super Member
-
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
All depends on the position of the shops in conjunction with all the other shops.
Boy let me tell you what:
I bet you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too.
And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you.
#4 2006-01-06 22:03:45
- krassi_holmz
- Real Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
It is in the center so it's the most closest to all the thiefs?
IPBLE: Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.
#5 2006-01-06 22:05:00
- krassi_holmz
- Real Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
just, can you post more of ths stuff?
IPBLE: Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.
#6 2006-01-07 05:18:34
- mathsyperson
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Zach wrote:
All depends on the position of the shops in conjunction with all the other shops.
I would agree. If one shop loses 3 times as many as all the other shops, then it is losing half of the total shoes lost.
So, I would guess that that shop was on its own, but the other three were next to each other.
Shop
Shop [Rest of town] Theft-prone shop
Shop
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
#7 2006-01-07 11:31:13
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
-
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Okay. There are three clues.
Clue 1: The shop that suffers the heaviest thefts is not in a worse part of town or in an environment that is more popular with criminals.
#8 2006-01-07 12:10:18
- darthradius
- Full Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
???Employee theft problem???
The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.
-Bertrand Russell
#9 2006-01-07 20:56:06
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
-
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Ahhh... no. 
Yell out if when/if you want clues, but they're probably not very helpful.
#10 2006-01-07 22:47:43
- krassi_holmz
- Real Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Well the suffering shop may be the easiest for tiefting?
IPBLE: Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.
#11 2006-01-07 22:49:00
- krassi_holmz
- Real Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Or, wait a minute. It may be because it's closed more time than others?
IPBLE: Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.
#12 2006-01-08 01:09:25
- mathsyperson
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
If I had that book, I'd be quite annoyed if I looked at the back and saw this as the answer, but here's another possibility:
None of the shops get any shoes stolen from them. 3x0 = 0
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
#13 2006-01-08 02:39:44
- siva.eas
- Full Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Maybe three different bunch of thieves steal the three different shop shops but they all meet at the fourth shoe shop so that they could go home together. So in the fourth shop all three of them steals, resulting in a theft level that is three times as more.
#14 2006-01-08 05:08:39
- krassi_holmz
- Real Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
I think mathsy is right... again!
IPBLE: Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.
#15 2006-01-08 11:51:17
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
-
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Well, mathsy, that does sound like something that would come from this book...
But you'll have to keep trying.
#16 2006-01-08 12:48:16
- Ricky
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Mr. Theft just likes to buy a lot of shoes from that one store.
Please give the other two clues.
"In the real world, this would be a problem. But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist. So we'll go ahead and do that now..."
#17 2006-01-08 16:58:37
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Something to do with left/right ?
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
#18 2006-01-08 20:23:37
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
-
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
To Rod: 
...
Clue 2: The four shops have similar staffing, lighting and security arrangements.
Clue 3: The shop that suffers the heaviest thefts does something different with its shoes.
#19 2006-01-08 22:21:25
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
It is the shoes they leave out for you to try on ... they are opposite to the other shops!
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
#20 2006-01-08 22:25:01
- krassi_holmz
- Real Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
The suffering shop's shoes are armoured?
IPBLE: Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.
#21 2006-01-09 02:34:57
- siva.eas
- Full Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
The shop with the most theft leaves out left shoes, while all other shops leaves out right shoes.
#22 2006-01-09 07:33:48
- krassi_holmz
- Real Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
And why the thieves will need left shoes?
O, I understand now. The thieves need left and right shoe, they will thief a right shoe form one of the other shops and they must steal the left shoe form the last.
IPBLE: Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.
#24 2006-01-09 08:03:18
- krassi_holmz
- Real Member
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Then they may preshell them to the shops!!!
IPBLE: Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.
#25 2006-01-09 16:35:38
- ganesh
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Lateral thinking puzzles
Yes, siva.eas has given the most appropriate solution. Excellent!
Character is who you are when no one is looking.